mortal

American  

[mawr-tl] / ˈmɔr tl /

adjective

1. subject to death; having a transitory life.

   all mortal creatures.

2. of or relating to human beings as subject to death; human.

   this mortal life.

3. belonging to this world.

4. deadly or implacable; relentless.

   a mortal enemy.

5. severe, dire, grievous, or bitter.

   in mortal fear.

6. causing or liable to cause death; fatal.

   a mortal wound.

7. to the death.

   mortal combat.

8. of or relating to death.

   the mortal hour.

9. involving spiritual death (venial ).

   mortal sin.

10. long and wearisome.

11. extreme; very great.

    in a mortal hurry.

12. conceivable; possible.

    of no mortal value to the owners.

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noun

1. a human being.

2. the condition of being subject to death.

mortal British  

/ ˈmɔːtəl /

adjective

1. (of living beings, esp human beings) subject to death

2. of or involving life or the world

3. ending in or causing death; fatal

   a mortal blow

4. deadly or unrelenting

   a mortal enemy

5. of or like the fear of death; dire

   mortal terror

6. great or very intense

   mortal pain

7. possible

   there was no mortal reason to go

8. slang long and tedious

   for three mortal hours

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noun

1. a mortal being

2. informal a person

   a mean mortal

Related Words

See fatal.

Other Word Forms

• mortally adverb
• nonmortal adjective
• nonmortally adverb
• postmortal adjective
• postmortally adverb
• premortal adjective
• premortally adverb
• unmortal adjective

Etymology

Origin of mortal

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, Middle French mortal, mortel, from Latin mortālis, equivalent to mort- (stem of mors ) “death” + -ālis -al ¹; ambrosia ( def. ); murder ( def. ); murther ( def. )

Related Words

• dire
• fatal
• grievous
• grim
• lethal
• malignant
• terrible